Soquel Family Lawyers

I am a Family Law Specialist, certified with the California State Board of Legal Specialization. I enjoy assisting clients with all their family law needs including custody, support, division of property and paternity. I have acted as minor's counsel for several years, both private and appointed by the court, and have provided mediation services for 15 years.

Aaron J. Lodge received his BA degree and first graduate work in math. He taught math at both the high school and college level for nearly 10 years, before changing careers and going to law school. Mr. Lodge now has a general practice law firm, where he focuses on family law, mediation, civil rights, and is now affiliated with other larger firms for personal injury and other areas of law. Mr. Lodge is highly dedicated to his clients, is very personable, and excellent in both litigation (in court), and in mediation.

Mr. Stinson represents clients in divorce and family law matters. He has an undergraduate degree in Business Management Economics from University of California, Santa Cruz where he graduate with honors in the major and overall within the college. While there he also earned perfect scores in his economics calculus classes. Mr. Stinson then worked in corporate finance with a national publicly held company before attending law school. While in law school Mr. Stinson clerked with the Honorable Judge Brian C. Walsh in the Family Division of Santa Clara County Court, interned in a corporate legal department,...

Philip Crawford graduated Magna Cum Laude from Santa Clara University School of law. Philip has practiced in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties for the past 33 years. His practice includes Family law, Juvenile law, Education Law, and Labor law.
Philip is a former Police Officer, Police Sergeant at San Jose Police Department. He is the founding attorney and former chief counsel for the Santa Clara County Correctional Officers Union. He has served as Chief Negotiator for public employee unions in negotiations and has handled hundreds of internal affairs investigations...

Stephen W. Penn is a Certified Family Law Specialist who has been in private practice since 1991. He received a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Los Angeles and his law degree from Glendale College of Law. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University, Master of Science in Taxation from Golden Gate University and Master of Arts from John F. Kennedy University in Counseling Psychology.

Prior to commencing his legal career, Mr. Penn served as Vice Chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District and Director of Finance and Chief Business Officer of California State University...

Jennifer is certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She earned a B.A. in Law and Society from the University of California at Santa Barbara and her law degree from Santa Clara University. Jennifer is a member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, and member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and is a member of the Family Law Executive Committee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Jennifer has lectured at multiple seminars for the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and Santa Clara University School of Law,...

Traci is certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She graduated from Santa Clara University in 2000 and was admitted to the bar in December of that year. During her tenure at Santa Clara, she was the Sr. Technical Editor of the Computer Technology Law Journal and received a Certificate of Excellence in Legal Research and Writing. After graduation, Traci was recruited by a top corporate law firm. She worked at Gray Cary (now DLA Piper) from 2000 - 2002 as a securities and corporate transactional attorney. She was involved in...

A Bay Area native, Chelsea has always been committed to making a difference in the local community. Family law has provided her the avenue to help families in transition, while maintaining civility and focus on issues that truly matter. Chelsea graduated Cum Laude and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Florida, which she attended on a volleyball scholarship. She returned to the Bay Area for law school and graduated with her Juris Doctor Degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2015. While in law school, Chelsea used her classroom knowledge to help families while working...

Help small to medium size companies navigate through a wide variety of legal challenges: formation, funding, governmental impediments, operational legal planning, merger and acquisition, employee relations, and labor compliance. All with the goal of litigation avoidance. Litigation in all California state courts and the Northern and Eastern U.S. District Courts of California.

Jessica joined Mello & Pickering LLP in January 2015. In 2011 Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Saint Mary’s College of California where she majored in political science. After graduating from Saint Mary’s, she received her law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2014. She was then admitted to the California State Bar in December 2014, after passing the state bar exam on her first attempt. During her law school education, Jessica gained extensive experience in family law working for the Department of Child Support Services, the San Francisco Bar Association’s family law project and a solo family...

Joshua Robinett Jachimowicz was admitted to the State Bar in 2011. Mr. Jachimowicz began working with his father's firm as a law clerk while attending law school. He graduated the University of California at Santa Barbara with a bachelor's degree in Physics. Like his father, he received his law degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. While at Santa Clara, he received honors for his academic efforts in Wills and Trusts, Employment Discrimination and Trial Techniques classes. As a young attorney, he has handled numerous criminal matters, including petty thefts, drug offenses, and DUIs. Mr. Jachimowicz recently married...

Dina is the founder and principal of Families First Mediation. Her mission is make A-class services available to clients at all socio-economic levels by providing her commitment to excellence at a fraction of the cost of traditional divorce options. She has practiced family law in both Southern and Northern California, at some of the most prestigious law firms. She completed post-doctorate law degree in mediation, a Masters in Law in Alternate Dispute Resolution from the premier Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. For more than 9 consecutive years, Straus was ranked the number one dispute resolution program by U.S. News and...

Proudly Serving Santa Clara County and the Central Valley

Cecelia became a Certified Family Law Specialist in 2002 and has continued to maintain these credentials. She has been practicing law since 1991. At this time nearly 100% of her business is in Family Law matters, including Divorce, Custody, Support, Guardianship, Parentage, pre and post nuptial agreements, and other related matters. This includes not only negotiated settlements, but trials and appeals. She understands the pressure that is asserted by the system (and the opposing spouse) when going through a court proceeding and is committed to, as much as is possible, reducing the stress experienced...

Benita Ventresca has been practicing family law in Santa Clara County, California, since 1978. She helps her clients throughout San Jose and the Bay Area deal with some of lifes most difficult issues while minimizing conflict and reaching the fastest possible resolution whenever possible. At Law Offices of Benita Ventresca, Attorney Ventresca provides representation in family law areas that include divorce, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, restraining orders, and paternity actions. Attorney Ventresca emphasizes communication with her clients, persistent advocacy, and attention to all aspects of their case. Regardless of the size of the case, her...

Matt A. Erickson was born and raised in the South Bay Area. He briefly left San Jose to attended Purdue University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Economics from the Krannert School of Management. After graduating from Purdue University in 2008, he returned to the Bay Area to attend Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, where he was awarded an academic scholarship. During his time at Golden Gate University School of Law, he won multiple awards, was a member of the law review, and was inducted as a member of the...

I began practicing family law in 2010. I bring with me not only my years of experience as an attorney but also my experience as a mom and step-mom. I love being able to help people during this time in their lives. I bring common sense and real-world solutions to my client's family law problems. I offer unbundled services and charge well below the industry standard. I believe that everyone should have access to quality, affordable legal help. When I a not working I can be found reading, watching baseball or college football, cooking, walking my dogs, or traveling with...